Corporate Events for Stressed Employees

As every good HR department knows, workplace stress damages staff motivation, affects performance and can even lead to lower productivity and ongoing sick leave. At the same time a well-planned event can help de-stress employees, strengthen work relationships that may be under strain, and give everyone a fresh new perspective. 

As corporate event planners we understand that a work event isn’t always about 100% fun. The impact of a great corporate event goes a lot deeper than that. Here’s what you need to know about corporate events and how they can make your people feel happier in all sorts of ways. 

The facts about workplace stress in the UK

Stress is endemic in the workplace. Stressed people are less engaged with their work. Their productivity plummets. They are more likely to be absent, more likely to leave your company. As a result of being stressed, employees can lose your business a lot of money. 

According to these stats, taken from the 2018 UK Workplace Stress Study:

• Work is the commonest cause of stress for adults in the UK, with 59% of us experiencing it 
• Only 9% of us claim we never get work-related stress 
• 21% of British workers experience moderate to high levels of work-related stress several times a week
• 21% say long working hours are the most common cause 
• 13% say worries about work-related performance make them feel stressed 
• High earners who bring in more than £40,000 are most likely to feel stressed 
• 65% of stressed adults experience poor sleep and 47% feel anxious 
• 37% say stress messes with their ability to concentrate 
• 35% resort to comfort eating thanks to stress 
• 32% feel less productive at work because of stress
• 22% feel disengaged with their work as a result of stress  
• More than one in ten of us claims stress causes us to take sick leave

Do you know how many of your people are stressed? Obviously the less stressed your employees are, the better it is for your bottom line. So how do you reduce workplace stress? One good, solid, proven way is to provide events designed to help improve staff wellbeing.

Corporate events that reduce stress 

The statistics are startling. No wonder counterbalancing stress is such a big business these days, and no wonder so many British businesses are investing in science-supported employee wellness solutions. Did you know, as an employer, that you can create events that focus on reducing employee stress, things like mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and tai chi? 

There’s a wealth of research proving that mindfulness meditation can reduce stress, which in turn can have a profound positive impact on the workplace. Meditation is really powerful, great for helping people regulate their emotions. It brings about changes in the brain so it becomes more resilient to stress, even improving the physical bio-markers that reveal stress. 

Mindfulness training, as well as meditation training, can be carried out online and via mobile phone apps, which makes them surprisingly practical to learn in a workplace setting. It’s also good to know they’re accessible to almost everyone – we can all learn to meditate, and we can all learn to become more self-aware, which makes it easier to look after ourselves properly. 

How physical exercise helps to boosts mental wellness  

Yoga was originally a healing exercise created to connect the mind, body and soul using postures, breathing and meditation. It affects the whole of you, increasing the blood flow to the muscles and bringing essential oxygen and essential nutrients to the body’s tissues. But it’s also an emotional thing, boosting levels of oxytocin as well as the endorphins that make us feel calmer and happier. Yoga even boosts melatonin production, the hormone that helps regulate our sleep. 

It’s no surprise, then, that around 460,000 of us enjoy yoga regularly in the UK. It supports better athletic performance, makes you stronger and more flexible, and even helps protect you against injury. And there are so many different yoga styles to choose from, everything from Yin yoga’s deep stretching, relaxation and restorative benefits to Lyengar yoga, which aligns your body perfectly, to thrilling Power yoga and gentle Aerial yoga. 

Tai chi is another powerful but gentle anti-stress exercise, this time a non-competitive martial art that’s all about self-defence and health. Combining gentle physical exercise with stretching with mindfulness is thought to improve a person’s balance, fitness, and flexibility, reduces pain and can even ease the symptoms of depression, promoting serenity and inner peace. It’s so gentle it is suitable for more or less anyone.

Make your next corporate event a stress-buster 

As experienced corporate event planners we’ve seen it happen many times. Businesses that introduce their employees to stress-busting activities like mindfulness and yoga benefit from happier, more relaxed staff who are more productive. It’s a win-win! 
Get in touch with our expert event planners to learn more about how our corporate wellness events can support your workforce.